Category: RT Newswire

For some years now, we’ve been seeing reports of evidence that
forests will be getting whacked by storms on an increasing and/or
increasingly violent basis. So far as I know, that scenario was
repeated most recently in a December ’07 Annual Reviews article
focused solely on the future of the commercial forest industry. This
latest (northern hemisphere) winter demonstrated how the expected
damage might look.  Below, Science gives a rundown on what happened
in China. Among other things, China’s recent experience puts a
spotlight on the limitations of small reserves — in one case, only
58,000 ha.

Lance Olsen
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“This scale of damage has never happened before.”

“Exotic species were harmed more than native species,” says Ren. In
northern Guangdong Province, plantations of  slash pine (Pinus
elliottii), an import from the southern United States, splintered
under  wet snow …”

“Nanling’s entire forest between 500 meters and 1300 meters in
elevation was wiped out, says He.”

“Nanling Reserve is one of scores ….that took a beating from storms
in late January and early February…”

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“Reporters who have tried to interview the
report’s lead author, Federal Highway
Administration official Michael Savonis, have
been explicitly told by DOT officials that the
author and the press cannot communicate with each
other.”

“Federal scientists must be allowed direct
communication with the press, unimpeded by
politically-driven gatekeepers with an interest
in blocking the truth and playing down the
significance of climate research and assessment
findings.”
—————————————————-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2008
1:25 PM

Government Accountability Project

Climate Change Report Buried by DOT; Author Blocked From Reporters

WASHINGTON, DC – March 14 – This past Wednesday,
March 12, the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT) and the U.S. Climate Change Science Program
quietly released a major assessment report on the
likely impacts of global climate disruption on a
wide range of transportation infrastructure in
the Gulf Coast region. This report release was
buried by the DOT, and officials have been
blocking journalists from speaking with the
report’s lead author.

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Tucson Citizen

Winter warmer despite storms

The Associated Press
Published: 03.14.2008

WASHINGTON – Winter storms and snow notwithstanding, this winter was still warmer
than average worldwide, the government reported Thursday.The global temperature
for meteorological winter – December, January and February – averaged 54.38 degrees,
which was 0.58 degrees warmer than normal for the last century, according to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Temperatures have been rising in
recent years, raising concerns about the effects of global warming, generally
attributed to human-induced impacts on the atmosphere. While it was warmer than
normal, the current winter – which ends Thursday – was the coolest since 2000-01.
Climate experts attribute that to La Niña, the cooling of the tropical Pacific
Ocean, which can affect conditions around the world. For the U.S., this winter’s
average temperature was 33.2 degrees – 0.2 degrees above the average for the 20th
century. The NOAA said this winter has been unusual for the above-average rain and
snowfall in the Southwest, where La Niña usually brings drier-than-average conditions.
Mountain snowpack exceeded 150 percent of average in large parts of Colorado, New
Mexico, Arizona and Oregon at the end of February. Spring run-off from the above
average snowpack in the West is expected to be beneficial in drought-plagued areas.
Record Northern Hemisphere snow cover in January was followed by unusually high
temperatures across much of the mid- and high-latitude areas of the Northern
Hemisphere in February, reducing the snow cover.In the Northeast, February rain and
snow helped make the winter the fifth wettest on record.

additional information
Key points
• Winter temperatures have been warmer than average from Texas to the Southeast and
along the Eastern Seaboard.
• Temperatures have been cooler than average from the upper Midwest to the West Coast.
• Severe winter storms have struck southern China, and the causes are still under
study.

The Associated Press

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“This sets a new low in a long line of irresponsible, disturbing decisions
made of late by the Bush administration,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark,
a spokesman for Defenders of Wildlife and former director of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Missoulian (MIssoula, Montana, U.S.)
March 11, 2008

Government denies protected status
for wolverines in mainland U.S.
<http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/03/11/news/local/news03.prt>
By JOHN CRAMER of the Missoulian

Wolverines in the contiguous United States were
denied federal protection Monday at a time when
new studies suggest they could become extinct
within 45 years if climate change eliminates the
snow zone they depend upon.

Scientists say they are still puzzling out new
revelations and investigating unanswered
questions about wolverines’ year-round dependence
on remote mountains that have a deep spring
snowpack, from denning, foraging and mortality to
traveling “superhighways” in search of mates.

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